Netflix (NASDAQ:NFLX) already had a deal in place in Enseo to incorporate the video-streaming service in a number of different hotels. On Wednesday, Netflix and Enseo, “an in-room entertainment systems integrator” that provides an entertainment platform for hotel chains, announced they are expanding that relationship.
How’s it work? So Enseo is used by hotels to provide better entertainment options to its guests, rather than just a few dozen TV channels. Enseo’s platform includes programs like Netflix, Hulu, YouTube and more. When a guest stays in the room, they simply log in with their Netflix credentials and are automatically logged out upon checkout.
Why use Netflix on the hotel TV, rather than an iPad or laptop? For hotels that don’t provide complimentary Wi-Fi, the on-TV format would be nice to have – especially given that hotel’s don’t charge to use it. Instead, the hotel benefits because now its guests aren’t bogging down the Wi-Fi by streaming. Some would call it a win-win.
Netflix and Enseo began working together in 2014, but with the latest deal, the latter can now “offer Netflix to any hotel under a contract in any country worldwide where Netflix is available,” according to TechCrunch. At current count, Netflix is available in only a few hundred hotels in the U.S., but that’s expected to grow (both domestically and abroad) now that Enseo can expand beyond pre-approved hotel brands.
It’s hard to think this would be a negative catalyst for Netflix, seeing as though it’s just one more way for the service to be front and center with its customers. In fact, according to Enseo, Netflix is the top-used service on its platform, so clearly the demand is there.
